"Marshmallow Man" Brian Riley, who has left his smiling graffiti tag on signs and walls in Bridgeport, like this one on John Street, was arrested Feb. 20, 2014, and charged with third-degree criminal mischief.

BRIDGEPORT -- Police have bagged the notorious "Marshmallow Man" who has left his smiling graffiti tag on signs and walls all over the city -- and it turns out to be a local theater director.

Police said Brian Riley, director of new works at the Bridgeport Theater Company, confessed that he is responsible for the street art that has been the bane of city public works employees for more than a year.

He was charged Thursday with third-degree criminal mischief and released on a written promise to appear in court Feb. 28.

"My cartoon character, Marshmallow, had appeared around the downtown area over recent years -- on a curb, a crosswalk stripe, underground tunnels, etc.," he stated in an email to Hearst Connecticut Media.

"As I sat in the holding cell, I wondered how often cartoon creators get arrested for their creations. An exaggerated comparison would be -- how much time did Disney serve for Mickey Mouse appearing as graffiti in his city? Or when Bart Simpson appears drawn on a dumpster, does Groening have to call his lawyer?" he wrote. "I've spent almost 10 years with the Marshmallow -- and now some of that was hard time."

The eureka moment came when police said Moore noticed the graffiti Marshmallow man appeared very similar to the painting Riley had done on the window of the Bijou theater downtown as part of a contest just before Christmas.

When Moore confronted Riley, police said Riley admitted to Moore than he was in fact the Marshmallow Man and promised to clean up his act.

But soon after, police said a Facebook posting appeared mocking DSSD's attempts to uncover the Marshmallow Man. Moore then filed a complaint with police.

"We did pursue it and we were able to identify him," Moore confirmed Friday afternoon. "We take graffiti very seriously and we want to discourage people from doing it as much as possible."

Calls for comment to the theater company that runs the theater were not returned Friday. The theater website still lists Riley as a director.